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Howard Hughes Facts

Howard Hughes Facts
Howard Hughes was an American film director, business magnate, pilot, and one of the most financially successful people of his time. He was born Howard Robard Hughes Jr. on September 24th, 1905, in Humble, Texas, to Howard R. Hughes Sr., and Allene Stone Gano. His father was a successful inventor. Howard developed an interest in technology and in science while he was a child. He was one of the first ham radio operators to be licensed in Houston. He was the first boy in Houston to have a motorized bike. He began taking flying lessons when he was only 14. He attended Caltech and went on to have a successful career in engineering, filmmaking, and as a pilot. He was also one of the wealthiest men in the world.
Interesting Howard Hughes Facts:
Howard's parents died before he was an adult and he inherited 75% of their estate.
Howard attended Rice University in the 1920s but dropped out to pursue movie making.
In 1926 Howard Hughes began to use some of the money he inherited from his parents to finance films including Hell's Angels, Scarface (1932), and the Outlaw (1941).
Howard Hughes developed a reputation as a playboy in Hollywood and was known to date Ginger Rogers, Ava Gardner, and Katherine Hepburn.
In the early 1930s Howard Hughes passion for flying inspired him to found his own aircraft company so that he could design and build airplanes.
Howard took chances with his flying endeavors and tested aircraft and even set speed records in the 1930s.
Howard Hughes circumnavigated the globe in 1938 with a four man crew, setting a new record with a time of 3 days, 19 hours, and 17 minutes. There was a ticker tape parade in NYC and celebrations around the U.S. for his accomplishment.
Howard Hughes was credited with developing the first retractable landing gear.
Howard Hughes built a very large wooden sea plane which was nicknamed the Spruce Goose by the press. It was an H-4 Hercules that Hughes was contracted to build by the U.S. government. He later had to testify before Congress because of its expense. He flew it only once to prove it could fly.
The Spruce Goose is kept in the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon today.
In 1946 Howard Hughes was involved in a horrible plane crash. After the accident he became a recluse.
In 1948 Howard Hughes became part of RKO Pictures but because of the plane crash he never even visited the studio.
Howard lived on the top floor of a hotel in Las Vegas in the 1960s but then moved abroad.
A supposed authorized biography about Howard Hughes was released in 1972 but the author Clifford Irving was found to be lying. He later served time for fraud.
Howard Hughes died on April 5th, 1976 and an autopsy later concluded the cause of death to be kidney failure. He was severely malnourished. He was laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, Texas next to his mother and father.
Howard Hughes net worth at the time of his death was $1.5 billion, which would be approximately $6.31 billion today.


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